Skin treating device with protection against radiation pulse overdose

Abstract

A device for the treatment of skin by radiation pulses. The device has a detector measuring a biophysical property of skin, such as temperature increase, dispersion or absorption coefficient, or reflection coefficient for light having a predetermined wavelength, and also has a control unit which determines, from the biophysical property, a safe dose of radiation. The device automatically protects against an overdose from the radiation source. The invention can be used, not only in a hair removing device such as a laser epilator, a laser shaver or a flashlight epilator, but also in devices for the medical treatment of skin by means of radiation, such as photodermatology systems.

1. A device for treating skin by radiation comprising:
 a housing, the housing accommodating a radiation source; 
 means for detecting a value or condition of a biophysical property of the skin, 
 means for generating an input signal corresponding to a value or condition of the biophysical property, 
 means for processing the input signal to determine a radiation dose that is permissible for application of radiation throughout treatment of the skin, 
 means for generating an output signal corresponding to the permissible radiation dose, 
 means for controlling the radiation source based on the output signal to enable a pulse dose no greater than the radiation dose from the radiation source that is permissible for the skin. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the radiation source is not enabled to activate one or more pulse doses delivering to the skin a radiation dose greater than the radiation dose that is permissible for application of radiation throughout a treatment of the skin.